From a Hobby to a Profession - My Story

I started doing genealogy in 1980. Unfortunately, with not much knowledge of "how to" under by belt. I was what they called a "Tree Climber". Get as many names as fast as you can. I was really proud on myself as the numbers grew. Then one day I started wondering who these names in my database really belonged to. That was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. History became my passion. (This is from someone who absolutely hated history in high school). I also began to find out, that because I hadn't kept research logs, or good source citations, I was reseaching through records I had already researched before. It was time to do something about it.
In the mid 1990's I began to organize my files, cite by sources, and clean up my PAF files. I was overwhelmed and wished I had started about 5,000 names back. It was a slow go, and I am still not finished, but things are looking up.
By the year 2000, some friends were beginning to ask for genealogy research assistance and it was at this point that I decided to start my own business. In the beginning I charged very little and because I was still slow at my research techniques, I really wasn't making anything at what I was doing.
My focus towards doing genealogy professionally came after I injured my back at work. I was an RN for 28 years, but knew I could no longer stand on my feet 12 hours a day. So I had to decided what I wanted to do the rest of my life. Genealogy!
I got accepted to BYU in 2004. My husband and I moved to Pleasant Grove. I graduated in 2007, started my business "Your Tree By Dee", and now I am on my way. I will soon be taking the test for Accreditation and just about have my project done for Certification. I love to attend genealogy conferences. I continue to take classes at BYU to help me be better in my field of work.
I am excited about all the technological changes that have come about in the past 27 years since I have been doing genealogy. I hope to hear from others of you out there. I hope that I can network with you and know that I will learn much from this blogging experience.

UGA Conference

I just attended the UGA Conference in Salt Lake City and wanted to share some of the new information I gleaned (not necessarily new, just new to me) while attending:

• The prices for obtaining document packages from the NARA are going up significantly. The price change takes place on October 1st. So if they receive your order by September 30th, you can still get copies of the files you need at the old price. Although, we all hate to see prices rise, I can understand why the NARA needed to raise their fees. It is quite time comsuming to print off these files, which in some cases can be over 100 pages. Time is money in this world we live in.
• Genealogy Musts - Blogs, Podcasts, RSS Feeds - The best way to find out at a moment's notice what is new in the world of genealogy. (Okay, so I have been slow in getting on the genealogy band wagon). A person will find new resources every couple of days, by using these sites, they are also the place to find the best genealogical information. As you can see I am a fast learner, since I now have my own blog.
• You can publish your genealogy via a RootsWeb Website. Since I have all my personal genealogy on WorldConnect, I plan on utilizing this feature
• Take advantage of Genealogy Conferences. You will get information you most likely would never find on your own and you are getting that infomration from people who know what they are talking about.